


every reason to smile

by steggyisimmortal



Series: Shield and Gun [28]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, F/M, Interview, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-08 05:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steggyisimmortal/pseuds/steggyisimmortal
Summary: The Smithsonian interview tape from CATWS: unseen footage





	every reason to smile

**Author's Note:**

> Completed for Steggy Week on tumblr (but started several years ago). Based on this comment from rachlovesligers however many years ago:
> 
> Tbh I’m getting through this whole video thing with pure denial. I’m imagining it’s in a world where Steve was found like 5 years after the crash, but they’re having an exhibition about Cap’s involvement in the war, getting the people he worked with to talk about him. So they’re interviewing Peggy and Steve’s behind the camera, watching, and even though he’s back it’s still painful for Peggy to talk about Steve’s “last words” to her. So when she starts crying Steve can’t take it, he tells them to stop the interview and walks over to her and wraps her up in his arms. They’re going on like “we had a few more questions” “we don’t have enough footage” and Steve just turns to them with a glare and says “this interview is over”
> 
> Please note this was written with a documentary video style in mind.

* * *

_1951_

“Hello and welcome to the Smithsonian Museum’s expose on Captain America. I’m Andrew Morrison. 

“Born Steven Grant Rogers in Brooklyn, New York to Sarah and Joseph Rogers, Rogers was a frail kid always getting into fights at school. He was a sickly child with many illnesses but that never slowed him down or left him out of the fray.

“After undergoing a highly experimental procedure at the hands of Doctor Abraham Erskine and Howard Stark, Rogers was turned from this sickly man to the world’s very first superhero. Although there were intentions of making an army of men with these unique specifications, that plan never came to fruition. Nevertheless, there was a world to save.

“In this exhibition, we will explore one of the most prominent units of World War II - the Howling Commandos. Six years after the end of the war and that name still commands respect with civilians and soldiers alike. The leader of that unit – Captain America – is arguably the most famous name of them all. Tasked with defeating Hydra, the secretive science division of Hitler’s, Captain America and his Howling Commandos trekked across the battlefields of Europe to dismantle this division.

“Along the way, Captain America encountered countless numbers of people whose lives he touched – the soldiers he worked with and the civilians lucky enough to meet him. You’ll hear several of their accounts over the next two hours, including some of the Commandos themselves.”

* * *

“I joined because I wanted to make a difference. Hate has no place in my world. I wanted to put a stop to it.”

“I never thought I’d get called up. I didn’t want to go but I’m damn glad I did.”

“The things I saw, I’d do anything to erase them. That’s nothing compared to what these people went through, though.”

“I did things. I didn’t do ‘em for medals. I didn’t do ‘em for accolades. I did ‘em cause they had to be done.”*

"They came out of nowhere."

"Never even had to chance get my bearings."

"It was like they had special weapons. The kind that shouldn't have existed."

"It wasn't until later we realized they weren't like regular Nazis."

"They were just plain evil."

“I was waiting to die. I didn’t think I was gonna make it.”

“Seeing that flag there, waving in the breeze, gave us hope and the strength to battle. When the flag started going up in flames from the weapons, it felt like hell had come to earth and there was no hope for anyone.”

"We'd been in a dark room for days. Didn’t know up from down, night from day. Barely a glimmer of anything in there. It was like the sun knew not to shine. I saw something white outta the corner of my eye. Didn't make sense. Then I saw red and blue. I knew I had to be dreaming. It looked like the good ol' US of A coming to rescue me."

“I felt a strength I hadn’t thought existed anymore.”

“The best day of my life was the day I saw that shield busting through the gunfire.”

“We needed something to pick us up and just looking at that shield – my god, we weren’t done yet.”+

“He was a modest son of a bitch. Always made sure everyone knew he wasn’t doin’ anything different than the guy next to ya. But that wasn’t true. Cap was everything. He had a way of lifting you up when you felt like you were ready to surrender. He made ya wanna pick up that rifle and go charging at ten men when you only had two bullets.”

“One mother or one bride was spared the agony of hanging a gold star in her window. That was Captain America.”^

* * *

Andrew smiled at the young woman across from him.

“Welcome, Rachel. I’m so glad you could make it today.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” she said softly, a shy smile appearing. 

Her fingers fiddled with something in her hand.

“So, let’s just get right into it,” he suggested. “You actually met Captain America during the war.”

Rachel cleared her throat.

“Yes. I was twelve at the time. My family had gone to London for the day. My father was always nervous to take us there because of the air raids, but he’d heard word that there were supposed to be soldiers returning from the mainland. He thought it was important to go and thank them for their service since he was unable to fight.”

“I imagine it must have been quite the sight,” he said.

Rachel shifted on the sofa. 

“Oh yes, indeed. I’ll never forget how tired they looked, how defeated. I later heard the particular men we saw had been prisoners of war for over a year.”

“Wow,” he breathed. “How did Captain America figure into all of this?”

She cleared her throat before sipping at her tea.

“London was a target for bombs. Hitler was angry he hadn’t yet captured the city. Bombs were fairly common. I remember watching the soldiers go by, my father and mother shaking the hands of each one that passed them. There was too much for me to focus on so I stepped away to get a better look at everyone.”

She brushed the hair out of her eyes. Her eyes remained glued to the coffee table in front of them as if she were watching the scene play out again.

“I found a statue to climb. Down the street, I could see a small group of men. They were dressed differently from everyone else. Nicer. There was a woman with them.” She laughed. “When I saw her, I remember thinking I wish I could do my hair half as nice as her.”

“Was she a part of the group or another well-wisher?”

“I never found out for certain but she had a uniform on somewhat similar to him.”

“Him being?” 

“Captain America.”

“How did you know it was Captain America?”

Rachel paused, pondering the question. 

“I’m not quite sure,” she admitted. “His picture had been in the paper the year before when he was due to receive a medal but my father tried to keep the paper away from my mother and myself. He didn’t want us to be fraught with worry over news.”

Andrew cleared his throat, “Perhaps it was something in his demeanor. I’ve heard others talk about his commanding presence.” 

She nodded. “It’s quite possible.”

The sound of his papers rustling filled the room.

“So what happened after you climbed the statue?”

She bowed her head.

“A bomb hit the building just up the way from where I was standing. It took everyone by surprise.”

“No one heard it coming?”

She shook her head. “With that type of bomb, it was too loud between the machines and the music and people talking. It was just awful. The building went everywhere. All I could hear was people screaming.”

“What did you do?” he asked softly.

“I couldn’t even move,” she said. “My ears were ringing so bad. I could see people running to help those that had been injured. I had no idea where my parents were but I was sure they were worried about me.

“All of a sudden, I was lifted from my spot. All at once I felt safe and warm, like nothing would harm me in that moment. When I looked up it was the man I’d seen next to the woman. He was so tall and he had the clearest blue eyes. I remember staring at his medals. He had so many on his jacket. There was one that was blue with five stars. Blue is my favorite color. He saw me staring at it. When we reached a safe location, he reached up and took it off before placing it in my hands.”

Her fingers unfurled to show the small blue ribbon. She stared at it with tears in her eyes.

“He told me, “They give this to people for being brave when it’s hard to be brave.” He asked me to keep it safe for him because he had something else he used to remind him to be brave. I agreed and he left to help the others just as my parents spotted me. Another bomb hit just behind the statue where I’d just been, blowing it to bits. He’s the reason I’m alive today.”

“If you saw him again, what would you say to him?” Andrew asked softly.

She smiled tearily. She smoothed her thumbs over the small medal before looking back at Andrew.

“I’d thank him. For saving me, for inspiring me. He saved my life that day. He didn’t have to. He could have continued on and helped the others that had been hurt by the first bomb. I’ll never forget that.”

* * *

Andrew shook the hand of the imposingly large man seated across from him. 

“Hey, howya doin’?” Dugan greeted.

“I’m well, thank you for asking. You know, your group is a hard bunch to get in touch with. I lost track of how many phone calls I had to make before you finally answered.”

Dugan chuckled and scratched the back of his neck.

“We’re a pretty tight knit group. Had to make sure everybody was on board with this first.”

Andrew looked surprised. “Oh, well I’m glad we have you here finally. I feel like there’s so much to go over. How about we start with his name?”

“Stage or real?” Dugan laughed. 

“His stage name. Who gave him that?”

Dugan chuckled. He leaned back on the sofa. He tossed a leg over his other, resting his large boot on his knee. He stretched his arms out until the spanned the back of the sofa. 

“He was doin’ a USO tour. One of the senators thought he’d be useful there. Decked him out in this pajama lookin’ costume. He was part of a stage show so they needed a name. The first night he went on as ‘Super American.’”

“Super American?” Andrew laughed.

“Yeah,” Dugan confirmed. “Pretty on the nose, right? The senator was determined to keep it, though. He wasn’t too bright. Anyway, a few shows later, they get to Paramus. I guess the show had been delayed or somethin’. All of a sudden, this kid yells, “Bring out Captain America!””

“A child named him?” Andrew asked in disbelief. Dugan nodded.

“Oh yeah. The senator heard it and he liked it so they kept it. Next thing you know, they’re rollin’ out comics and radio programs for Captain America. When he came to the front lines, it just…felt right to keep it.”

“Wow, that is just incredible.”

Dugan leaned forward to take a drink from the mug in front of him. Andrew glanced down at his sheet of paper.

“Life Magazine wrote an article about him. Mary Welsh-Hemingway called him - ”

“An avenger,” Dugan finished with a proud smile. “Yeah, we were proud of him. Cap didn’t care so much one way or another. That’s not who he is. He always said he was just doin’ what anyone would do.”

“Was he always so modest?”

“He was the most modest sonofabitch you ever met. You could tell him he had the most beautiful blue eyes on the planet and he’d say someone else out there probably had better ones.”

Andrew chuckled.

“I bet all the ladies noticed his blue eyes.”

“You bet your ass they did but he never noticed. He only had eyes for one gal.”

“Can you tell me about her?”

Dugan met his eyes defiantly. 

***video skips***

“What kind of person was Captain America?”

“The greatest,” Dugan answered immediately.

Andrew reared his head back from the ferocity of the answer.

“It’s that simple?”

Dugan nodded. “It’s that simple. He rescued people. He rescued ‘em from more than just the snafu they found themselves in. I went into the war just a guy from Boston. It was all I’d ever known. My number got called up so I went. All of a sudden, the world seemed a lot bigger. I met guys I never woulda met otherwise. Now they’re my best friends. That was all Cap’s doing. He made us a family without ever really trying.”

“He sounds like a larger than life figure,” Andrew observed softly.

Dugan shook his head. “Nah, just a regular guy. Cap was a regular guy who just….brought out the best in people. He was a standup guy. You won’t find another man like him. Not for a long time.”

* * *

“Hi, Peggy. Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Peggy smiled widely, cup of tea sitting gently on her knee. Her posture was welcome and inviting.

“Thank you for sitting down with us again.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure.”

“So we spoke a great deal yesterday about the SSR. Today we’d, uh, like to move on to –”

“Steve Rogers?” she cut to the chase.

“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “Yeah. Uh, what was, uh, your initial reaction when you heard about Project Rebirth?”

“I thought it was lovely in the same way that Peter Pan is lovely or Nights of the Round Table,” she laughed breathily.

“So you were, you were skeptical?”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “To put it mildly. But then I met Dr. Erskine and Howard Stark. And then finally Rogers. And I must say my opinion changed somewhat after that.”

“First, correct me if I’m wrong, but the intention was to create an entire army of Super Soldiers, correct, right?”

“Yes, but uh, Rogers nearly made up for that discrepancy himself.”

“Many of his exploits are still classified.”

“Well, not every hero gets a parade. I think that’s how Rogers preferred it. Suffice it to say, the world would be a very different place if he hadn’t been there to protect it.”

Andrew nodded in agreement. He glanced down at his list of questions briefly. 

“Captain America have an effect on you personally?”

Her body seemed to freeze while her eyes blinked in confusion. “I, I beg your pardon?”

She titled her head towards him as if she’d misheard him.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I just mean that, uh, it must have been a remarkable experience getting to work with him.”

Back on the same page, Peggy gave a slight nod. The camera zoomed in closer. 

“Well. A life in the military demands a certain amount of detachment, particularly from a woman.” She seemed to struggle not to roll her eyes at that. “Sometimes it is, it’s necessary to give and receive orders without dwelling on the cost of the individual.”

She paused again, drawing in a shaky breath. Andrew kept quiet while she gathered her thoughts.

“The, the mission trumps all,” she floundered. “Steve never let me forget that these were real lives and real deaths that we were dealing with.”

Her mouth moved but no words came out. Andrew waited.

“He also treated me like a, a person.” She laughed uncomfortably, looking down at her tea cup. “Which I very much appreciated.”

“I recently spoke to several soldiers who credited Captain America to saving their lives.”

“Oh yes, well. There are a lot of men that can give you that interview.”

“This was outside Volgograd. 1945.”

She made a noncommittal noise.

***video skips***

The tea cup clattered against the saucer when Peggy set it down. 

“Yes, that was a difficult winter. We were in Russia. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve,” she stuttered on his name, “Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a Hydra blockade that had pinned our Allies down for months.”

She took a shaky breath. “He saved over a thousand men. Including the man who would become my husband as it turned out.”

She had a faint smile as she glanced briefly to the right.

“Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life.”

She glanced down at her tea cup again before looking back at Andrew with a tight smile. 

***video skips***

“I understand you were the last person to speak to Captain Rogers before his plane went down,” Andrew said softly.

Peggy’s lip began quivering before he finished his statement. The china in her hands clattered from her shaky hands.

“I, I was, ye...”

She cleared her throat to rid her voice of the emotion. 

“Could you tell us what he said?”

She stared at him blankly. Her eyes turned red with tears, her entire body lurching backwards as if she’d been hit by some large force. Her lips and chin quivered, trying to hold back her emotion.

She made a noise but looked back at her tea cup, fiddling with the handle. Her breathing came in bursts, her mouth opening to speak before closing again in thought. She glanced up at Andrew only to move her eyes back to her tea cup. The tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. 

“That’s it. You’re done.”

Andrew turned to see a large man striding up to him. He motioned to the cameraman to keep rolling.

The blond man moved past his chair and knelt down next to Peggy. He took her tea cup and set it aside before she could drop it. Her hands were visibly shaking. Andrew could hear him murmuring soft words to her but couldn’t make them out.

“I, uh, we still have a few more questions.”

“I don’t care,” he said firmly. The voice was familiar.

“But we need more footage,” Andrew argued weakly. “We’re almost done, I promise.”

The man stood, holding firmly onto Peggy. She looked on the verge of a breakdown – eyes redder than before, her whole body shaking. Her hands flitted from the man’s arm to her face like she didn’t know if she needed support or to stop her emotions from spilling out. 

The tall man turned on the camera with a glare that could have killed. Andrew took a step back. 

“This interview is over.”

The two hurried past them and out of the room. 

Andrew turned and made a kill gesture to the cameraman. 

“I guess we’ll just fade to black there,” he shrugged.

***video ends***

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> The following lines are from the named sources but reworked for the sake of Captain America:
> 
> * - Line comes from Band Of Brothers  
> \+ - Line comes from an Indiana Pearl Harbor survivor (name I now cannot remember)  
> ^ - Line from Ghost Army documentary


End file.
